Moises Alou: Worth the Wait?
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by Dayala718
When Moises Alou was signed to a one-year deal by the New York Mets, he was supposed to transform them into an offensive juggernaut, especially against left-handed pitching. For a while there, the Mets looked very good and were sixteen games over .500 through the first two months of the season. However, when Alou went down, his fellow outfielders soon followed. The Mets power numbers are down, overall offensive production is down, and Lastings Milledge has been their latest offensive threat.
With no sign of Alou's return (every week I read another "a few more weeks" headline concerning him) on the horizon, Milledge and Shawn Green seem to be the everyday regulars in the Met outfield. So far, Green has played well and Milledge seems to be improving by the day. My question to you fans out there is this: Is it even worth waiting for Alou? Will he turn things around and make things better for the Mets, or will he just be a one-year mistake like many anticipated?
See, here's the thing. My understanding is that the Mets cut ties with Cliff Floyd because he was an oft-injured outfielder whose best days were behind him. Well, had we gone out and gotten someone younger, faster, better, or spunkier, then I wouldn't have minded the Alou signing. However, he is older than Floyd, gets injured just as much, if not more, and is also a line-drive hitter in my book.
I would love to see him back as soon as possible, but anytime a player misses this much time, they don't usually turn out to have good seasons. It's all in the numbers. If and when Alou does return, his 2007 line will be ugly. I am tired of waiting and think that he either needs to Cowboy Up and come back or miraculously turn it around sometime near October. Only time will tell but time is not on Alou's side at this point.
Update as of 7/24: Alou had an awkward swing in his last at bat during a Brooklyn Cyclones game. An MRI has revealed Shoulder Tendinitis. Money well spent, Omar.
